ucomfandomcom-20200213-history
PFA Women's League
The PFA Women's League, officially abbreviated as PWL, is a Pugetine professional league for women's association football clubs. At the top of the Puget football league system, it is the country's primary women's football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the PFA Amateur Women's League. The PWL is directly governed by the Puget Football Association, along with most other leagues. Seasons run from August to April, with teams playing 30 matches each, totaling 240 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. The competition formed on January 2, 2009 following the decision of women's clubs, usually associated with their male counterparts, to form a professional league for women. The PFA Women's League has since become the world's most watched women's football league, but ranked behind the Puget Premier League and PFA Championship in viewership and revenue domestically. Since 2010, only two clubs has been crowned champions of the Puget Women's Cup, the Dawson Ducks and their cross-town rivals Dawson United. Of the 16 clubs to have competed since the inception of the PFA Women's League in 2009, only one has won the title, the Dawson Ducks (twice). History Origins Women's football in Puget has existed since the general introduction of football in the early 19th century and was commonly played as a hobby or exercise. It was not until the advent of supporter's groups for male football clubs that fan-based women's clubs were formed and later adopted into the organization of the parent football club. Friendlies were organized, often against the same opponents as men, and it was not long before talks of a professional league began in the early 21st century. Foundation In late 2008, representatives from 16 of the 26 registered Puget Football Association women's clubs met with the PFA Board of Directors over the idea of the first professional women's sports league in Puget. The league was approved and announced on January 2, 2009 to begin play that August. Two championships were announced, a league cup and a competition for all women's clubs to begin in May 2010, running parallel to the men's tournament. During the first season of the PWL, the Dawson Ducks went unbeaten in 30 matches and later won the first women's double in Pugetine history. The Ducks dominated the second season as well, extending their league unbeaten streak to 59, losing their final home match against cross-town rivals Dawson United, but retaining the league trophy. They lost the Puget Women's Cup final to Kalama United after a replay and an abandoned match due to rain. A system of promotion and relegation is scheduled to begin with the newly-established PFA Amateur Women's League when their first season ends in 2012. Competition format Competition The are 16 clubs in the PFA Women's League. During the course of a season (from August to April) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 30 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue, usually the National Football Center, decides rank. Beginning in 2012, the two lowest placed teams are relegated into the DFA Amateur Women's League (DAWL), and the regular season winner, together with the winner (or runner-up if winner is also the top-ranked team) of league cup, are promoted in their place. Trophy Finances Sponsorship Media coverage Puget Worldwide Clubs Stadiums Manages Players See also Category:Puget Category:Football in Puget